BORROWED TIME

18

"What have you done Loel? Ano ba sa tingin mo ang ginagawa mo?"

"Dad, I was just... Dad nadala lang naman ako ng emosyon ko kaya nasabihan ko si Bea ng mga ganong salita."

Kagigising ko pa lang pero yun na agad ang naabutan kong scenario sa sala. It was kuya Loel. And I was surprised when I saw tito Elmer.

Ibig sabihin nakabalik na sila?

I decided to stay upastairs and hidden para makinig sa mga pinag-uusapan nila.

"Ganon na lang ba yon Loel? Just because she accidentally blamed you on what happened before, you'll blame her back?!"

Tito Elmer is fuming mad. Halatang hindi niya nagustuhan kung anong nangyari two days ago.

"Dad, I didn't mean to, okay? I was just scared that something bad might happen to Bea while I am here."

"And that is what we are talking about! Kami ng mommy mo! We already told you not to go here and set a vacation for your own self. But what?! You still push through 'this trying to take care of Bea for as long as you are not busy'. But look what have you done?! You slapped her with something that is not really true! Loel kapatid mo yun! Siya dapat ang kinakampihan mo at pinoprotektahan mo! Hindi mo rin dapat siya sinisisi sa pagkawala ni Jia!"

I saw Tito Elmer held the collar of kuya Loel's shirt.

"Elmer tama na ano ba! Stop that!" it was tita Det.

So they are really here now. They're back.

"No Det! Look at what he has done! Muntik nang masagasaan si Bea! Akala ko ba ayaw mo siyang mapahamak while you are here?! But what happened days ago proves na hindi mo talaga kayang alagaan ang kapatid mo."

Tito Elmer just held his collar tighter.

"Elmer ano ba! Nasasaktan din si Loel! Get off him!" Tita Det tried to separate them and she succeeded.

"Ano ba naman kayong dalawa?! Is this what you two wanted?! Ang mag-away because of Bea's situation?! This is getting hard for all of us but please, could you just stop this and just help each other find a way for Bea to recover?!" halos maiyak na rin si tita Det while saying those words.

And that made tito Elmer and kuya Loel cease the tension between the two of them.

"I just want to help." kuya Loel sincerely said.

"Pero sana hindi sa ganitong paraan Loel. Nahihirapan lang tayong lahat." tito said and walked away.

While tita Det just hugged kuya Loel who is about to break down.

I went back to my room for a breather.

Masyadong tight yung eksenang naabutan ko kanina and I can't take it. Bea's parents are back, and even just a tiny progress, nothing happened. Nakakahiyang humarap sa kanila nang wala man lang akong naitutulong sa anak nila.

*Tok Tok Tok*

I went to the door and opened it.

"Jhoana."

I was surprised when I saw kuya Loel's face.

"Kuya? May problema ba?" I tried to hide that I heard them talking downstairs dahil baka isipin pa nilang tsismosa ako.

"Can we talk?"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Do you think, mali yung desisyon kong magpunta dito para dalawin si Bea?"

Napa-iling naman ako as I sipped my coffee. Kuya Loel and I went to a coffee shop to talk about what happened these past few days.

"Kuya, I know you are just concern about Bea. You really love your sister. And I think there's nothing wrong about that."